Ask Mamma: Or the Richest Commoner in England

by Robert Smith Surtees

This delightful Victorian novel, beautifully illustrated with woodcuts by John Leech, follows the romantic exploits of two generations of the Pringle family. Miss Emma Willing is a humble seamstress who makes a good first marriage to Mr. Billy Pringle, the result of which is the hero of the story, their son Fine Billy. After the untimely death of her husband, Mrs. Pringle secures the launch of her son into polite country society by the Earl of Ladythorne. Once ensconced in the countryside, Billy soon forgets an early dalliance with a serving girl and finds himself immersed in the world of fox hunting, and courted by local society, including the Miss Yammertons. Filled with colorful and humorous characters, this book presents an affectionate but irreverent view of country life for the wealthy Victorian.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

537 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1858

About the author

Robert Smith Surtees (1805–1864) was an English editor, novelist and sporting writer, widely known as R.S. Surtees.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

1st edition from 1858 with all illustrations intact including glassine sheets to protect them...
AND ONLY £18!

WOO, WOO, WOO, WOO.

Give a guy a break, this kind of luck don't come of'en.

[Huw Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you think of Surtees you should think of the huntin' shootin' fishin' classes. Jorrocks (qv) is a case in point. Whilst Ask Mamma involves a certain ammount of equestrianism, it is much more a satirical look at Victorian society, their manners, mores and class rigidity. The son of the family, the central character of the book, hazs many hurdles to overcome in pusuit of a happy ending. The writing suffers from a lack of verbosity found in many of his peers and is as pacey as the horses he describes so avidly.